Rare juvenile minke whale stranded in Emeryville mudflat humanely euthanized, officials say

EMERYVILLE, Calif. (KGO) -- A rare juvenile minke whale that became stranded in an offshore mudflat in Emeryville on Tuesday had to be humanely euthanized after officials determined the "animal was suffering and had little chance of survival."

"It is under increased levels of stress, it is labored breathing. It is just not being a healthy, vibrant whale," said Giancarlo Rulli with the Marine Mammal Center.

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Fire crews spent hours spraying it down trying to keep it hydrated, while experts tried to figure out why is kept washing ashore.

"I have been watching this whale since it first arrived which is Wednesday," said Bill Keener, who is also with the Marine Mammal Center.

Keener says the whale may have come into the San Francisco Bay looking for food. But the fact that the whale wants to be near shallow water, is not a good sign.

"These animals will eat small schooling fish. There is plenty of that in SF Bay like anchovies. So maybe it came in chasing fish. But something else may be happening to it where it's now either confused or lost," says Keener.

Scientists says trying to move the animal would be unsafe as well. Not just for the whale, but also for the people involved.

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"Just from the past week, first observing this whale, this whale has also lost body weight. There is something potentially larger happening to the whale, by the naked eye, we just are not able to see," said Rulli.

Minke whales are rare in the San Francisco Bay. Biologists say they have only spot four since 2009.

As word got out of a beached whale, more people came by to see the whale.

"We want to observe what else is happening beside this. This is just unusual," says Amanda Liston, who lives in Emeryville.

Ashley Smiley is a biologist who studies birds. She says seeing a rare minke whale is also a rare opportunity to see this animal up close.

"It is obviously an opportunity and fascinating event for people to see these animals that typical, we will never see in our lifetime. So, I very much understand the curiosity," says Smiley."

Marina Mammal Center officials say a partial necropsy is planned, though results won't be available for several weeks.